Child welfare inequalities on the agenda? A qualitative study of the local political stream in England

Bennett, Davara Lee, Wickham, Sophie, Barr, Ben ORCID: 0000-0002-4208-9475 and Taylor-Robinson, David ORCID: 0000-0002-5828-7724 (2026) Child welfare inequalities on the agenda? A qualitative study of the local political stream in England CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW, 183. 108819-. ISSN 0190-7409, 1873-7765

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Abstract

BackgroundThere has been a steep, sustained rise in children in care in England. Adverse socioeconomic conditions, including rising child poverty and cuts to preventative services, are drivers of care entry. But the local political environment for tackling these drivers remains poorly understood.ObjectiveTo understand the status of anti-poverty and prevention strategies on local political agendas, and how best to raise that status.Participants and setting15 Children’s Services policymakers across six local authorities in England. We targeted recruitment to places with outlying trends in care entry after controlling for local economic conditions.MethodsWe conducted individual semi-structured interviews. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a framework derived from political science theory. This focused the analysis on features of the local political environment: the public mood, political forces, consensus-building strategies, turnover and jurisdictions.ResultsIn participants’ accounts, the national mood was intemperate, tending towards inequitable Children’s Services policy. The local mood was elusive, and interest groups seemed scarce. Within local authorities, power was largely hierarchical. Leaders’ commitment to prevention was therefore key, and participants used soft power to bolster commitment and build consensus. Only Ofsted troubled the hierarchy, forcing a political reckoning. Local stability was valued, while national elections structured expectations and possibilities. Prevention remained the province of Children’s Services, but the case for proportionate universalism was not yet won.ConclusionIn this study, we shed light on a challenging local political environment for tackling child welfare inequalities and propose strategies for policy entrepreneurs. Evidence is not enough. Solutions must be attuned to local political realities.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Children in care, Child welfare inequalities, Qualitative, Policy analysis
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health > Public Health, Policy & Systems Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health > Inst. Population Health (T&R Staff)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	23 Feb 2026 15:30
Last Modified:	23 May 2026 10:59
DOI:	10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.108819
Open Access URL:	https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/...
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3197168
Disclaimer:	The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate.